The world champion USA Women’s soccer team continued their nationwide Victory Tour with a 3-1 victory over Brazil today. This match also marked the final games for Defender Lori Chalupny and midfielder Lauren Holiday played in their final match for the USWNT and were honored before the game. Both are veterans of championship teams from the Olympics and the World Cup.
Orlando fans came out in droves, filling the Orlando Citrus Bowl with nearly 33,000 fans, the most fans for a stand alone friendly in the state of Florida.
Both teams battled and produced a high paced, end to end match. Brazil pressed for a good amount of the early minutes but USA confidence and skill prevailed. Things began to heat up when Alex Morgan broke free to score a goal in the ninth minute off of a perfect pass from Tobin Heath, putting the US up 1-0.
Brazil equalled the score near the end of the first half when Cristiane powered in a left foot shot thanks to a nice slip pass from Marta. The USA mounted an immediate response and went ahead three minutes later when a point-blank header from Lindsey Horan was blocked by Brazil goalkeeper Luciana but rebounded to Crystal Dunn, finished through traffic with her right foot to regain the lead just before halftime.
Stephanie McCaffrey, who was making her USWNT debut, added another score in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage, volleying home a perfect Megan Rapinoe cross from the left side for the final score line.
The USWNT will resume its Victory Tour in December when it takes on Trinidad & Tobago on Dec. 6 in Hawaii
